The BJP today dubbed the 2017-18 Himachal Pradesh Budget as a "bundle of announcements and jugglery of figures" and claimed it would form the next government in the state.

The BJP today dubbed the 2017-18 Himachal Pradesh Budget as a “bundle of announcements and jugglery of figures” and claimed it would form the next government in the state. The performance of the state government and the present Budget is a bundle of hollow announcements and jugglery of figures, Himachal Pradesh BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti said during discussions on the Budget in the Assembly here. He claimed that 8 per cent of the announcements made in last four Budgets never were never implemented and have been carried forward in the 2017-18 financial year. “The Centre never discriminated with any state. The people are disappointed with the performance of the government. Even though thrust was on construction of buildings of revenue, health, educational institutions, but neither adequate infrastructure nor staff was provided,” he said, claiming that more than 10,184 posts were lying vacant in health department.

“The BJP will come to power in the state. In Uttarakhand the party formed government with support of the people, in Goa through the court’s intervention and in Manipur through alliance,” he said.

Satti alleged that recruitments to government departments are being made through the “backdoor” and there was discrimination with Assembly constituencies being represented by BJP MLAs.

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“Even the credibility of the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission is at stake as candidates with 85 per cent marks in written test were being denied jobs while those with 45 per cent marks were getting selected,” he said, claiming marks of personal interview were being manipulated.

The state BJP chief claimed that in selection of conductors, 179 people from the Transport Minister’s constituency and 39 from Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh’s Assembly segment qualified for appointment.

“It gives the impression that intelligent people are only from constituencies of the Minister and the Chief Minister”, he said.

Participating in the discussion, Congress leader Kuldeep Kumar said the Budget has come as a big relief to the youth, who would get unemployment allowance and also an opportunity to compete for 19,000 posts.

Several announcements have been made in the interest of farmers, including schemes for ‘kiwi’ and off season vegetable cultivation, he said.

Budgetary provision of Rs 115 crore had been made for providing housing facility to the weaker sections, Kumar said.

Taking a dig at the Chief Minister, BJP MLA Maheshwar Singh said, “He was so liberal that if you ask for a primary school, he would give a middle school and has announced unemployment allowance at the end of his present tenure, that too without making a proper policy.”

Congress leader Rakesh Kalia expressed his gratitude to the CM for providing Rs 42 crore for funding the Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samitis.

Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS), Rohit Thakur said that 80 per cent work had been done on the Theog-Hatkoti road and it would be completed this year.

During BJP’s regime only 18 per cent of the road was completed, he said.

Participating in the debate BJP MLA Baldev Singh Tomar claimed that though the state has been declared as Open Defecation Free (ODF), the truth is none of the 48 Panchayats in Shillai are ODF.

Accusing the government of overburdening the state exchequer by appointing chairman, vice chairman and advisors, BJP leader Inder Singh asked the Chief Minister whether he needs advisors even after being elected to the post six times.